Numeral display for electronic calculating machines



Sept. 30, 1969 BERTRAM 3,470,556

NUMERAL DISPLAY FOR ELECTRONIC CALCULATING MACHINES Filed Jurie 24, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WAN/[U4 B'FiPAfl f fliZw MA% Spi. 30, 1969 w. BERTRAM 3,470,556

NUMERAL DISPLAY FOR ELECTRONIC CALCULATING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1968 v s Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. [MU/[AM BEPI'PAM W- BERTRAM Sept. '30, 1969 N MERAL DISPLAY FOR ELECTRONIC CALCULATING MACHINES Filed June 24. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent F 3,470,556 NUMERAL DISPLAY FOR ELECTRONIC CALCULATING MACHINES Wilhelm Bertram, 2 Hans-Cornelius Strasse, 8032 Grafelfing, Germany Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 666,585,

Sept. 11, 1967. This application June 24, 1968, Ser.

No. 739,355 Claims priority, application Gzrmany, Sept. 12, 1966,

Int. Cl. cosb 23/00 US. Cl. 340-324 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation in part of my prior copending application Ser. No. 666,585 filed Sept. 11, 1967 and entitled Numeral Display for Electronic Calculating Machines, now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a calculating machine and in particular to a numeral display 'device for an electronic calculating machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In known calculating machines of the above-described type the numeral display is provided by means of a controllable glow tube. Depending on the numeral to be displayed, the control circuit is electronically energized for lighting the glow tube. Such numeral display has various disadvantages. One important disadvantage is the high voltage which is required for the glow tube. The trausistors used in the machine must be adapted to said high voltage and are thus expensive, or equally expensive precircuitry is required. The glow tube itself is expensive and complicated. A further disadvantage of this type of numeral display means is that same are diflicult to read.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide a numeral display for an electronic calculating machine which operates at a low voltage by simple means and without unfavorably affecting the lightness and small size of such calculating machines and which utilizes numerals which are easy to read.

To attain said purpose the invention provides an annular numeral carrier rotatably arranged behind a reading window and it further provides a rotatable measuring device, such as a rotating coil type of meter motor, for driving said numeral carrier. A voltage from the electronic parts of the calculating machine corresponding to the numeral to be displayed can be applied to said rotatable measuring device, said voltage causing a deflection of the rotatable measuring device, thus moving the respective numeral on the numeral carrier behind the reading window.

The rotatable measuring device operates at a low voltage. The transistor apparatus of the calculating machine can thus also be designed for a low voltage and is there- IIIIII of FIGURE 2.

fore very inexpensive. The numerals provided on the numeral display can be read easily, thus errors are prevented. Hence, the entire numeral display is considerably less expensive and has less interference than a glow tube.

The drive of the rotatable measuring device is brought up to speed advantageously by means of a gear ratio. Thus, only very small steps of the rotatable measuring device are required which simplify the required linearizing action of said deflections. The numeral display has advantageously large deflections which allow the usage of large, easily readable numerals.

The gear ratio advantageously is comprised of a toothed segment arranged on the driven part of the rotatable measuring device and gearing driving the numeral carrier through a hub arm and engaging said toothed segment. The numeral carrier including the hub arm and the gearing is thereby bent from one piece of a thin metal, preferably an aluminum strip in the form of a toothed segment. The numeral carrier, the bearing and gearing can thus be manufactured simply and easily. The light weight results in minimum inertia and the deflections occur quickly. Furthermore, the light weight of all movable parts of the numeral display favorably aflects the size of the rotatable measuring device, which latter has to produce only a short moment of rotation or the voltage can be reduced further which reduces the price of the transistor unit. The toothed segment of the rotatable measuring device can be held as thin as the toothed segment of the numeral carrier. Both toothed segments are advantageously provided with interengaging teeth which, in spite of the small thickness, assure a reliable engagement.

The arrangement of the hub arm of the invention makes it possible, in an advantageous manner, to receive the rotatable measuring device inside the annular numeral carrier. Thus, the lateral space between the numeral carriers is kept narrow which is advantageous with respect to the size of the calculating machine. Moreover, the numerals to be displayed with more than one digit are closely adjacent to each other and can be read quickly and reliably.

A connecting strip is advantageously arranged on the numeral carrier opposite the hub arm, said strip being used as a weight balance closing the otherwise open ring and being advantageously made of solderable material. It is therefore possible to balance out possible weight differences by means of soldering additional counterweights thereon.

The rotatable measuring device arranged inside the ring formed by the numeral carrier advantageously forms a uniform structural element with said ring, said element being provided with fastening means. Insertion and exchange of single numeral carriers is thus advantageously simplified and is also simplified in a way that the number of structural elements required for the calculating machine with their fastening means can be arranged one beside the other on two continuous shafts or rods which are positioned one behind the other. "For this purpose the fastening means advantageously consists of support arms positioned at an angle to each other and being provided with spacer sleeves. The support arms can be easily moved onto said axes. Thus, an easy space saving arrangement is obtained.

Further details of the invention are disclosed in the description and the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 illustrates a portion of a numeral display of an electronic calculating machine having three struc- FIGURE 4 is an end view as taken along the line IVIV of FIGURE 1.

'FIGURE is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a portion of a numeral display of an electronic calculating machine having a plurality of slightly modified structural elements arranged in side-byside relation.

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of a structural element as taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIGURE 7.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The objects and purposes of this invention are met by providing a plurality of numeral display elements which are slideably positioned on a rod in side by-side relation. Each of the display elements comprises a drum-like carrier having indicia on the periphery thereof, the carrier being rotatably mounted on a pair of supporting arms. A motor structure is mounted within the carrier and has a stationary magnet surrounded by a movable coil or rotor which is rotatably deflected in proportion to the voltage applied thereto. The movable coil has a gear sector connected thereto in meshing relationship with a gear sector integrally formed on the drum-like carrier whereupon the voltage applied to the coil causes an angular displacement thereof which in turn results in a proportional angu lar displacement of the drum-like carrier so as to position the desired indicia adjacent a window or indicating location.

.DETAllED DESCRIPTION FIGURE 1 illustrates a plurality of structural display elements arranged in side by-side relation. Each structural display element comprises, as illustrated in FIG- URE 3, la rotatably mounted annular numeral carrier 2 having a rotatable measuring device 3 positioned therein.

The carrier 2 comprises a drum-like member formed from a strip 4 of thin sheet-like material and is provided with indicia or other suitable markings on the periphery thereof. The carrier 2 has a radially extending hub arm 5 formed thereon, the inner end of which is provided with a toothed segment 6 :for drive purposes as explained hereinafter. A connecting strip 7 overlaps and interconnects the opposite free ends of the annular strip 4 so as to form a complete and rigid annulus. Further, the connecting strip 7 functions as a balancing member or counterweight so as to compensate for the radial hub arm 5. The hub arm 5 may be further provided with a reinforcing groove 8 [formed therein so as to strengthen same.

To support the numral carrier 2 within a calculating machine, the structural display element 1 is provided with a support member 11 which has :a pair of arm members 12, the "free ends of which have integral sleeves 13 formed thereon, which sleeves are adapted to be slideably positioned on a pair of spaced parallel support rods 14. Support member 11 is connected to a further support member 16 positioned on the other side of the carrier member 2 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. The support members 11 and 16 are fixedly secured together by means of a pair of bolts 17 as illustrated in FIGURE 5. Each of the support members 11 and 16 are provided with a pair of projections 18 thereon which are adapted to abuttingly contact similar projections formed on other structural elements 1 when same are positioned in side-by-side relation in the manner as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The supoprt member 11 has a support ring 19 fixedly connected thereto, which support ring is 'formed with an enlarged hub portion 21 adjacent the lower extremity thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The enlarged hub portion 21 is provided with a setscrew-type bearing 22 therein. Similarly, the support member 16 is also pro vided with a downwardly extending extension 23 (FIG- URES 3 and 4) in which is received a similar setscrew bearing member 24, the setscrew bearing members 22 and 24 being substantially coaxially aligned adjacent the opposite sides of the carrier 2.

A needle-like pivot bearing 26 (FIGURE 3) extends between and is pivotally supported by the bearing members 22 and 24 and has an enlarged hub 27 secured thereto. The hub 27 is also concentrically secured to the gear sector portion 6 formed on the carrier 2 whereby the rotational axis of the pivot pin 26 is concentric with the rotational axisof the gear sector 6 and the annular carrier '2. In this manner the carrier 2 is supported for rotational movement about the axis of the bearing pin 26.

Considering now the measuring device 3, same comprises a motor means which includes a ring member 31, preferably of soft iron, concentrically positioned within the support loop 19, being fixedly clamped between the support members 11 and 16 as illustrated in FIGURE 5. A magnet 32 is stationarily positioned within the ring 31, being secured relative thereto by means of interconnecting bracket members 33. A rotatable coil member 36 is positioned within the ring 31 in surrounding relationship to the magnet 32, the coil being connected to an external circuit so as to be subjected to and energized by a certain voltage as determined by the external circuitry. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the rotatable coil 36 is provided with a pair of bearing members 37 on the opposite axial ends thereof, which bearing members are supported within setscrew bearing members 38 and 39 mounted on the support members 11 and 16, respectively. The coil 36 is thus mounted for rotational movement with respect to the stationary magnet 32 and the stationary ring member 31.

The rotatable coil member 36 is further provided with a driving member 41 (FIGURES 3 and 6) fixedly secured to and rotatable with the bearing member 37. The driving member 41 is provided with a gear sector 42 thereon which is in meshing relationship with the gear sector 6 formed on the numeral carrier 2. The driving member 41 is further provided with a balancing sector 43 extending therefrom in a direction opposite the gear sector 42, the balancing sector 43 further having a stop member 44 secured on the outer radial end thereof. The balancing sector 43 and the stop member 44 thus function as a counterweight so as to rotatably balance the driving member 41 about its rotational axis. Further, the stop 44 is adapted to cooperate with a pair of stop plates 46 and 47 fixedly secured to a pair of extensions 48 and 49, which extensions are here integrally connected to and comprise a portion of the supporting member 16. The stop 44 and the cooperating stops 46 and 47 thus limit the amount of angular deflection of the rotatable coil 36.

To maintain the rotatable coil 36 in a substantially central position when no voltage is applied thereto, there is provided a small spiral balance spring '51 (FIGURE 3) coacting between the support member 16 and the rotatable bearing member 37, which spring 51 tends to maintain the rotatable coil 36 and the driving member 41 in a neutral position wherein the stop member 44 is substantially midway between the stop plates 46 and 47 as illustrated in FIGURE 6. The balance spring 51, which can also be used to conduct current to the coil, imposes a torsional resistance on the coil which is proportional to the torque developed by the voltage imposed on the coil, which voltage causes a corresponding proportional angular deflection of the coil. Meter motors of this type are well known and accordingy further description of the operational characteristics is not believed necessary.

To further assist in returning and maintaining the numeral display device in the zero or neutral position when the voltage is removed from the coil 36, there is provided a second spiral balancing spring 52 having one end thereof secured to the support member 16 and the other end thereof secured to the rotatable carrier member 2, whereupon the balance spring 52 causes the carrier member to return to its neutral or central position simultaneously with the return of the rotating coil 36 to its neutral position. While it is obvious that a single spiral spring could be used to perform the above-desired function since the rotatable coil 36 and the carrier 2 are geared together, use of a pair of spiral springs is preferred since each of the balancing springs can be made much smaller. Further, use of a pair of balancing springs permits faster return of the system to its neutral position since each spring drives its own individual member rather than having to drive a pair of members geared together, which increases the system inertia.

OPERATION A brief description of the operation will be set forth below to insure a thorough understanding of the present invention.

Assuming the coil 36 to be in its neutral position as illustrated in the drawings, which condition it assumes when no voltage is being applied thereto, the numeral carrier 2 will also be in a neutral position such that some desired base indicia will be visible through the window 53. For example, assuming that the carrier has numerals on the periphery thereof, then the neutral position selected for the carrier 2 may, for example, have the numeral zero visible through the window 53.

When a voltage is applied to the coil 36, a torque is developed and exerted on the coil so as to rotate same relative to the stationary magnet 32 in accordance with well-known electrical principles. The amount of rotation of the coil 36 is proportional to the magnitude of the voltage imposed thereon. Further, with the proper characteristics in springs 51 and 52, the rotational movement of the coil 36 and the corresponding magnitude of the voltage imposed thereon may be any desired, such as substantially linear, relationship. Thus, rotation of the coil 36 causes a smilar rotation of the driving member 41 whereupon the gear sector 42 drivingly rotates the gear sector 6 formed on the numeral carrier 2 and thus causes a corresponding rotation of the numeral carrier 2.

In the above-described manner, the numeral carrier 2 is rotatably moved by an amount which corresponds to the magnitude of the voltage imposed on the coil 36 whereupon both the coil 36 and the numeral carrier 2 are substantially rotatably displaced in a linear manner in proportion to the magnitude of the voltage imposed on the coil. Thus, if the periphery of the numeral carrier 2 has numeral indicia formed on the periphery thereof with the numeral indicia increasing in a linear manner around the periphery, then the angular displacement of the carrier 2 will result in positioning a suitable indicia directly behind the window 53 whereby same will thus be visible to the operator of the calculatingmachine.

When the voltage is removed from the coil 36, the spiral balance springs 51 and 52 will cause the coil 36 and the numeral carrier 2 to be rapidly returned to their initial positions whereupon the device is in condition for receiving a new voltage signal thereon.

MODIFICATION FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate a slightly modified torm of the structural display element according to the present invention. FIGURE 7 illustrates therein in side-byside relation a plurality of structural elements for a numeral display, each being identified by the numeral 61. Each structural element 61 comprises, as illustrated in FIGURE 8, a rotatably arranged, annular numeral carrier 62 and a rotatable measuring device 63 arranged inside the ring. The rotatable measuring device 63 has a substantially annular housing 63' as illustrated in FIG- URE 8. A toothed segment 64 with a sector-shaped counterweight 64 is arranged within the housing 63 on the movable part of the rotatable measuring device 63. The toothed segment 64 is in mating engagement with a toothed segment 65 which is the drive for the numeral carrier 62. Said toothed segment 65 is the inner end of a hub arm 66 which is connected to the numeral carrier 2. The numeral carrier 2 is, in one preferred embodiment, made of a strip of aluminum having a thickness of 0.5 mm. and is bent in one piece forming the hub arm 66 and the toothed segment 65. The teeth of the toothed segment 64 and 65 are inengagement.

A connecting strip 8 of solderable material, for example of brass, overlaps the ends of the open ring formed by the numeral carrier 2 with respect to the hub arm 66 and forms the counterweight to said arm 66. If desired, further counterweights can be soldered onto the connecting strip 68.

Each structural element 61 has a pair of support arms 69 and 69 positioned adjacent opposite axial ends thereof. Support arm 69 has a plate 70 interconnected thereto by means of fastening means 75, the plate 70 being positioned adjacent one axial end face of the housing 63'. A similar plate 70' is interconnected to the end of the other arm 69' by means of fastening means 75' with the plate 70 being positioned adjacent the other axial face of the housing 63. The fastening means 75 and 75' extend bet-ween the plates 70 and 70' and fixedly interconnect the housing 63' relative thereto. The plates 70 and 70' have bearing members 76 and 76' therein, respectively, for supporting the pivot shaft 77 of the meter 63. The plates 70 and 70' further have integral, downwardly extending portions 78 and 78' thereon, which portions have bearing members 79 and 79' supported thereon, which bearing members pivotally support the pivot shaft 80 of the numeral carrier 62. Said support arms 69 and 69' are arranged at an angle to each other having spaced sleeves 71 and 71' mounted in one piece on their respective tree ends and are moved with same on two rods 72 and 72' positioned one behind the other. The continuous rods 72 and 72' are the main support for all structural elements 61 which are arranged in sideby-side relation. As illustrated in FIGURE 7, the sleeves 71, 71' are axially elongated and are positioned on the rods 72 and 72 in end-to-end abutting relationship whereby the sleeves provide the necessary spacing between adjacent numeral carriers 62.

When calculating is carried out, a certain voltage is applied to the rotatable measuring device 63, for example as the result of a transistor-controlled operation. Said voltage effects the desired, usually linear corresponding deflection of the spring-tensioned movable part of the rotatable measuring device 63 and thus of the toothed segment 64 which rotates the normal carrier 62 through the toothed segment 65 and thus moves the numeral corresponding to the voltage applied in front of a display window 73.

The rotatable measuring device 63 is here planned for a deflection of approximately degrees and the toothed segment is constructed correspondingly and its deflection is limited by stop means 74 mounted on the plate 70. The gear ratio between the toothed segments 64 and 65 is in this embodiment 1:3. Thus, the numeral carrier 62 has a deflection area of 270 degrees. The numerals can be distributed over this zone. The remaining portion of the ring is occupied by the connecting strip 68. The selection of the space between the numeral carrier and the display window 73 is advantageously chosen in such a way that the total deflection space is used for the numeral display.

While the present invention has been disclosed above as using a meter motor having a stationary magnet surrounded by a rotating coil, it will be recognized that the motor could also have the magnet surrounding the rotating coil.

Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of such disclosure, which lie within the scope of the appended claims, are fully contemplated.

What is claimed is:

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Anindicia display -for electronic calculating machines, comprising:

an annular carrier having indicia thereon;

support means rotatably supporting said carrier for angular displacement relative thereto; measuring means mounted on said support means, said measuring means comprising a meter motor positioned substantially within the interior of said annular carrier and having a rotatable portion which is angularly displaceable in response to the application of a voltage to said measuring means, the magnitude of the angular displacement of said rotatable portion being correspondingly proportional to the magnitude of the voltage applied to said measuring means; means interconnecting said rotatable portion of said measuring means and said annular carrier for causing a proportional annular displacement of said annular carrier whenever said rotatable portion of said measuring means is displaced;

whereby application of a signal to said measuring means causes an angular displacement of said rotatable portion which in turn causes a proportional angular displacement of said carrier.

2. An indicia display according to claim 1, wherein the means interconnecting the carrier and the rotatable portion of said measuring means comprise a pair of meshing gear segments.

3. An indicia display according to claim 2, wherein said measuring means has a deflection zone of approximately 90 degrees and the gear segments interconnecting said rotatable portion to said carrier provide a gear ratio of approximately 1:3 whereupon the deflection zone of said carrier is approximately 270 degrees.

4. An indicia display according to claim 2, wherein the carrier has a radially inwardly extending hub arm with a gear segment being formed on the inner end thereof, the hub arm and the gear segment being formed from a single piece of thin sheet-like material.

5. An indicia display according to claim 4, wherein the annular carrier is formed from a thin strip of sheet-like material with said hub arm being secured to said strip of material intermediate the ends thereof, and a connecting strip being fixedly secured to the ends of said strip so as to close same and form a closed annular ring with said connecting strip being positioned diametrically opposite from said hub arm so as to at least partially balance said carrier.

6. An indicia display according to claim 4, wherein said meter motor is eccentrically positioned within the interior of said annular carrier, the rotational axis of said rotatable portion being substantially parallel to but radially spaced from the rotational axis of said annular carrier.

7. An indicia display according to claim 1, wherein said support means comprises a pair of support arms positioned at an angle to one another and extending substantially radially outwardly from said carrier with the outer ends of said support arms being provided with openings therethrough whereupon said support arms are adapted to be slideably received over a pair of support rods.

8. An indicia display according to claim 1, wherein said support means includes a pair of fixedly interconnected support members positioned adjacent opposite sides of said carrier, said support members including a first pair of coaxially aligned bearing support members for rotatably supporting said carrier, said pair of support members further including a second pair of coaxially aligned support portions for rotatably supporting the rotatable portion of said measuring means,

9. An indicia display according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means further includes a magnet positioned adjacent the rotatable portion of said measuring means with said magnet means being fixedly secured to said support means.

10. An indicia display according to claim 1, further including resilient means coacting with said support means for returning said carrier and said rotatable portion to their initial positions upon the removal of said signal.

'11. An indicia display according to claim 1, wherein said calculating machine is provided with a housing surrounding said carrier with said housing having a reading window therein positioned closely adjacent the periphery of said carrier, said carrier being provided with numerals on the outer periphery thereof with said numerals being positionable near said reading window in response to the imposition of a signal on said measuring means.

12. An indicia display according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable porton of said measuring means comprises a coil member and said measuring means further includes a stationary magnet positioned closely adjacent to but spaced from said coil member, whereby application of a voltage to said measuring means causes an angular displacement of said coil member.

13. An indicia display according to claim 1, wherein the support means with the meter motor mounted thereon and the annular carrier interconnected to said rotatable portion comprise an interconnected indicating unit,. and wherein a plurality of said indicating units are arranged in side-by-side relation, and further including means for supporting and maintaining said plurality of indicating units in said side-by-side relation, said last-mentioned means including a pair of laterally spaced rod members positioned adjacent to and extending axially of said plurality of units with said rod members being connected to the support means of each indicating unit. I I

14. An indicia display according to claim 13, wherein the support means of each unit includes a pair of support arms positioned at an angle to one another and extending outwardly of the respective annular carrier, each of said support arms having a spacer sleeve fixedly secured thereto with each said spacer sleeve being received on one of said rod members, said spacer sleeves having an axial length slightly greater than the axial length of said annular carrier whereby the spacer sleeves of one indicating unit are adapted to abuttingly engage the spacer sleeves of an adjacent indicating unit when same are mounted on said pair of rod members so as to maintain said indicating units in a noninterfering side-by-side relation.

15. An indicia display according to claim 14, wherein the support means of each indicator unit further includes support plate means connected to the respective support arms for rotatably supporting said annular carrier and the rotatable portion of said meter motor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,074,066 3/1937 Wheeler et al 340-324 3,046,542 7/1962 Hager 340 347 3,218,625 11/1965 Knotowicz 340-324 3,234,546 2/1966 Ellner et al. 340347 3,353,174 11/1967 Lang 340325 STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Primary Examiner US. 01. X.R. 335 1; 340432 

